An American Empire

Chapter 17 Section 2

Building an Empire• US and Spanish leader meet to discuss the

terms for a peace treaty• America debates on what to do w/ their

newly acquired lands…– Cuba is given its freedom– US annexes Guam and Puerto Rico– The Big Question What about the Philippines

• Annex the Philippines or not

Support Annexation• Supporters of annexing the Philippines

– Economic benefits – large market for American goods

– Military benefits – naval base in Asia & a stopover on the way to China

– Humanitarian – teach “less civilized” people how to live properly

Oppose Annexation• Opposition to annexing the Philippines

– The cost of an empire far outweighed the economic benefits it provided

– Cheap Filipino labor would drive down American wages

– Imperialism violated American principles

• President McKinley decided to annex the islands

A Treaty• December 10, 1898 – the US and Spain

sign the Treaty of Paris

• Terms of the treaty…– Cuba b/c an independent country– The US acquired Puerto Rico and Guam– US paid Spain $20 million for the Philippines

• The US had become an imperial power!!!

The Philippines Rebel• Emilio Aguinaldo ordered his guerilla troops to

attack the US soldiers in the Philippines• To fight the Filipino guerillas General Arthur

MacArthur adopts many of the same policies the US had condemned Spain for using in Cuba– Concentration camps to separate guerillas from

civilians– Thousands of Filipinos died from disease and

starvation

Under US Control• William Howard Taft – first US civilian

governor of the islands • Taft slowly b/g to win over the people by…

– Building new railroads, bridges, and telegraph lines to strengthen the economy

– Creating a public school system– Virtually eliminating severe diseases such as

cholera and smallpox through new health care policies

Filipino Independence

• March 1901 – Aguinaldo is captured– W/i a month he accepts US control of the

islands and calls on the guerillas to surrender

• By the mid 1930’s the US allowed them to elect their own congress and president

• In 1946, the US granted independence to the Philippines

Governing Puerto Rico

• 1900 – Foraker Act – makes Puerto Rico an unincorporated territory– Puerto Ricans were not US citizens and had

no constitutional rights– Congress can pass whatever laws it wanted

for the island

What to do with Puerto Rico?

• 1917 – US made Puerto Ricans citizens of the US

• 1917 – debate b/g over Puerto Rico– Should it b/c an independent country– Should it b/c a state– Should it continue as a territory???

• The debate continues today

Regarding Cuba• The US had promised to grant Cuba its

independence but…– McKinley took steps to ensure that Cuba would

remain tied to the US

• McKinley allowed the Cubans to prepare a new constitution for their country but he attached conditions– The Platt Amendment

The Platt Amendment• This amendment specified the

following…1. Cuba could not make any treaty w/ another

nation that would weaken its independence or allow another foreign power to gain territory in Cuba

2. Cuba had to allow the US to buy or lease naval stations in Cuba

The Platt Amendment3. Cuba’s debts had to be kept low to

prevent foreign countries from landing troops to enforce payment

4. The US had the right to intervene to protect Cuban independence and keep order

Cuba Agrees• Cubans rejected the Platt Amendment at

first but…– They realized that if they did not accept it the

US would maintain its military govt. of the island

• They reluctantly added it to their constitution• The Platt Amendment…

– Made Cuba an American protectorate– Governed US and Cuban relations until its

repeal in 1934